Tire-tightener.



Patented Oct. 29, l90l.

TIBE TIGHTENER.

W. G. WILLIAMSON.

(Application filed July 5, 1901.)

(No Moljel.)

- Ly ng hr v mums PEYERS commute-Mme. wAsumu'roN z: c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF E.

XVILLIAM G. \VILLIAMSON, OF ABBOTT, FLORIDA.

TIRE-TIGHTENER.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Pam No. 685,364, dated October 29,1901.

Application filed July 5, 1901. Serial No. 67,222. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. WILLIAM- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Abbott, inthe county of Pasco and State of Florida,have invented a new and useful The Tightener, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to tire-tighteners, and has for its object toprovide an improved device of this character which is arranged to adjustably connect the opposite ends of fellysections, so as to force thesame apart to tighten the rim or felly within the tire. It isfurthermore designed to arrange for applying the device to wheelsalready in use without altering or changing the same, to brace the tireWhere it spans the joint between the folly-sections, to efiectuallyprotect and house the device against the lodgment of dirt, and finallyto arrange for the convenient adjustment to tighten the tire Wheneverdesired.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion,

' bound by the usual metallic tire 3.

size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claimswithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of awheel having the present invention applied thereto, a plan view thereof,the tire being removed and parts broken away to showthe fastening means.Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the housing or casing of thedevice. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the adjusting portion ofthe device.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate opposite rim or follysections, which are The end of each rimsection is protected by means ofa metallic clip 4, which embraces the opposite sides and inner edge ofthe rim and is held thereto by means of fastenings 5, driven through theclip and into the end of the rim.

Fig. 2 is 'or shoulder 9 is fixed to the rod with its outer fiat edgeflush with the outer marginal edge of the rim and its inner edge alsoflush with and conforming to the shape of the inner edge of the rim. Atopposite sides of the shoulder there are provided the tightening oradjusting nuts 10, which are designed to be set up against the adjacentrim ends, so as to force the same apart, thereby to tighten the rimwithin the tire as the rim-sections slip outwardly in oppositedirections from the end portions of the screw-threaded rod 8, the tirebeing in the form of a solid ring and the diameter of the folly beingexpanded so as to bind tightly within the same.

A substantially semitubular metallic casing 11 embraces the inner edgeand opposite sides of the rim-j oint, so as to cover and house thetightening device, and is provided at 0pposite ends with correspondinglongitudinal slots 12 for the reception of the fastenings 13, thatpierce the rim, and thereby hold the easing in'place, the slots beingdesigned to accommodate for the slight movement of the rim-sections whenbeing tightened.

It will be here observed that the tire covers the outer side of thejoint, and the block or shoulder 9 forms a brace or support for the tirewhere it spans the joint between the rimsections, said block or shoulderbeing of a form similar to the contour of the telly in cross-section andits rear rounded face being supported by the semitubular metallic casing11.

Each spoke 14: is provided with a metallic pin or tenon 15, which entersa correspondembraces the rim and has an opening for the reception of thetenon.

To adjust the device, it is merely necessary to remove the casing orhousing, thereby exposing the nuts, which are turned to feed outwardlyin opposite directions, and thereby force apart the rim-sections totighten the tire, after which the casing is replaced to protect thedevice against lodgment of dirt.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination with opposite rim-sections,having corresponding sockets in the adjacent ends thereof, and a solidtire embracing the rim-sections, of a fixed screw-threaded rod havingits opposite ends loosely fitted in the respective sockets, anintermediate fixed shoulder upon the rod and forminga support for theadjacent portion of the tire, and adjusting-nuts applied to the rod atopposite sides of the shoulder and lying against the ends of therespective rim-sections.

2. A tire-tightener of the class described, comprising a substantiallysemitubular casing, a fixed screw-threaded rod to lie longitudinallywithin the casing, an intermediate fixed shoulder carried by the rod andshaped to snugly fit the casing and to bear against the tire, andadjusting-nuts applied to the rod at opposite sides of the shoulder, theends of the casing being provided with corresponding longitudinal slotsfor the reception of fastenings.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a solidtire, of a felly having spaced ends, a block 9 of a contour similar tothat of the felly in cross-section and adapted to fit between saidspaced ends and form a support for the tire, a rod fixed in said block 9and having its opposite ends provided with screw-threads adapted tostraight unthreaded sockets formed in the ends of the felly,adjusting-nuts applied to the rod at opposite sides of said block andbearing against the ends of said felly, and a casing shaped to conformto the felly and fitting over the end portions of the telly and theintermediate block, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM G. WILLIAMSON.

\Vitnesses:

W. M. GEIGER, II. A. PHELPS.

